


A Family of Two

by Bears24



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, John's A+ Parenting, Mommy Issues, No pairings - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 14:38:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4352750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bears24/pseuds/Bears24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John gets called to Sam's elementary school to talk about the fight Sam started.  He discovers something that's been in front of his face but never acknowledged before, and his family as he thought he knew it is forever changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Family of Two

**Author's Note:**

> I've been a fanfic reader for many years, and this is my first attempt at writing. This idea just got stuck in my head so I finally wrote something for the first time since my college Writing class (long time ago :). Hope you enjoy.

Sam sat hunched over in the plastic chair, hands in the pockets of his hoodie sweatshirt. He was dreading the moment his dad would show up. John wasn’t big on any involvement where school, or any ‘normal life’ activities were concerned. He told the boys to keep their heads down, don’t get into trouble and attract any attention that might get CPS calling. He sure as hell wasn’t going to be in a good mood coming down to the school to deal with his eight year old son - the quiet, yet increasingly stubborn, bookworm who had inexplicably started - _started_ -a fight. Even Dean didn’t start fights - sure, he had his run-ins every now and then, but he wasn’t foolish enough to throw the first punch - he was better at ending disputes, a few effective punches that always hit their mark tended to end disputes quickly.

The principal hadn’t told much to John over the phone so when Sam heard his father’s boots echoing down the hallway, he could only imagine what was going through his head.

He didn’t bother to look up when his father’s steps stopped next to his chair - he knew there would be an exasperated look on that face, a hand grabbing his beard and a huff of air coming out of his mouth. 

“Sam”.

A mumbled ‘sir’ made its way begrudgingly out of Sam’s mouth. 

As John was about to try to wrestle an explanation out of his son, the door to the principal’s office opened.

“Mr Winchester? I’m Principal Simmons.” A younger than expected man extended his hand out to John. A nervousness crept into his eyes as John took a moment to assess the man before taking his hand. The corner of John’s mouth rose slightly as he attempted to switch from ‘hunter’ mode into what he assumed pass as what a typical act like in his situation. It seemed to work as some of the oncoming anxiety eased from the principal’s face.

“If you and Sam would come into my office, please?”

One look at Sam and he was out of the waiting room chair and stepping into the office, John trailing his steps.

“I’m glad you could come by today, Mr Winchester. There was an incident at lunch today involving Sam and another student-”

“An incident. You mean, a fight”

The Principal took a pause at John’s tone, “Yes, a fight” He turned to Sam and his tone softened “Sam, would you care to explain to your father what the fight was about?”

Sam kept his head down and turned his gaze to the left, away from the principal and his father.

“Sam”

“Jamie thinks he knows everything, but he _doesn’t_ ”

Another sigh and the scrape of his hand on his bordering on unkempt beard - “Son, why did you start the fight?”

Sam fidgeted around until he looked like he’d made his mind up to talk and then the words started pouring out “Jamie was saying how his mom makes him lunch everyday and gives him snacks after schools cuz that’s what moms do. So I said then I have a mom too-”

John turned to look at his son completely for the first time since arriving at the school. As Sam kept talking a pain began to settle into his chest..

“-and I said that cuz Dean does that and helps me with homework and everything too then he’s my mom. But Jamie said I was stupid cuz moms have to be girls and pretty but I said Dean was pretty as any mom and so WHAT if he’s not a girl…”

John couldn’t breathe. As his son kept rambling and saying all the things Dean does for him, all the things the other boys claimed to be things only moms do-

“...and makes cuts feels better and nightmares go away…”

\- he realized with a start, with a chill that crept down his spine and halted his ability to move, to breathe, that Dean - his Dean, _Mary’s_ Dean - was Sam’s mother. John’s mind skipped back over the years, focusing on all of the times he had put Sam’s well-being in Dean’s hands. 

“ _Take care of your brother_ ”

 _He_ had done this. He had made Sam the center of Dean’s world, and in turn Sam looked at his strong ( _nurturing_ ), fearless ( _loving_ ) older brother and thought _Mom_.

Even Principal Simmons seemed to be shaken by the words spilling forth from Sam. He looked to the gruff man who seemed unaffected and tired of the world when he had walked in and now looked at his youngest almost as if he had never seen him before. He went to tell Sam that he didn’t have to keep explaining, when the door opened up to a very concerned (too concerned - no kid should be able to look that way) green eyed young man ( _boy_ ). “Sammy? You weren’t waiting out front - Dad, what’s going on?”

A loud sob erupted from Sam and Dean was by his side in an instant. Sam took advantage of his proximity and grabbed onto the collar of his shirt and buried his sniffling face in Dean’s chest. An arm was immediately wrapped around him and Dean shot a glare to both his father and the principal, a fierce protectiveness radiating from his gaze. 

Principal Simmons stepped up slightly - “Dean, is it? Your brother here was involved in a fight today-” At that Dean lifted Sam’s head to examine his face for any scrapes or bruises. A soft “you okay” and Sam’s nod assured him his brother was okay. He brushed a tear in a gentle ( _maternal_ ) gesture off Sam’s cheek and guided his face back to his chest.

“..and I brought your father here to discuss-”

“Did Sammy apologize?”

“Yes, yes he did. But we were talki-”

“Is the other kid hurt”

“Well no, both he and Sam are okay-”

“Then we’re done here. C’mon Sammy” His arm still wrapped around his brother, he guided Sam out of the office and down the hallway. John couldn’t tear his eyes away as he watched Dean place a gentle kiss on the top of Sammy’s head and overheard “it’s okay”, “..grilled cheese when we get home..” as they walked out of the office.

John knew he wasn’t the most attentive father - he knew he would never be the dad that took his kids out for ice cream or showed up at every football game. But he at least thought he knew where he stood in this family, where his boys, his sons, were in relation to him - his _sons_ , both of them in the same role, one younger and one older. 

Even after Dean was out of his line of sight, he kept looking in his direction, trying to wrap his head around what he just heard from Sam, and how every of Dean’s actions in the space of a minute had confirmed every word he’d said. How his protectiveness wasn’t an older brother looking out for the kid brother - it was a mama bear protecting her cub, and one that had seen both the principal and John as threats after seeing Sam so upset when he walked into the office. And godammit it’s nothing he hadn’t seen before, but this was the first time he bothered to pay attention.

Principal Simmons stood awkwardly trying to figure out what to say, but John solved his dilemma by standing wordlessly and walking out of the office and down the hall in the direction of Dean and Sam (Dean and _Dean’s boy_ ) knowing that he would only ever be following them ( _their own family, the two of them_ ) as they leaned on each other, but never on him.


End file.
